Fran Ruchalski | Music Photography
The Quick Survey
- Name: Fran Ruchalski - The PhotoGuy of Amelia Island - The Photographer, LLC
- Located in: Amelia Island / Jacksonville Florida
- Started in: January. 2008
- Status: Made the jump to full-time June, 2010.....hence the new name
- Types of Photography: Music Photography & Portraits
- Primary Camera / Favorite Lens: Nikon D700 / Nikon 80-200 2.8
- Interesting Personal Fact: I have a blue spot in the middle of my forehead from an "extreme sport" accident....I was racing a shopping cart, lost control, and went skidding across the Wal-Mart parking lot head first. My pride was hurt more than my head. My mother always told me not to do it....maybe someday I'll listen.
Find out more
Website: www.photoguyofai.com
Blog: www.ishootmusicians.net
Twitter: @PhotoGuyofAI @IShootMusicians
Facebook/MySpace: The PhotoGuy of Ameila Island
Short Bio
I am many things to many people. I am Dad to 4. I am Pop to 8. I am the “significant other” to 1. I am “the ex” to 2. And I am the master to one crazy German Shepherd.
I have lived in a very large city and on a farm outside a small rural town. Yes, I’m a little bit country and a little bit rock and roll. These days, I live in a little beach town on a small island in Northeast Florida, and I am very happy to be here. It’s a place that I truly feel at home and may be the place where I was always meant to be. For a beach bum like me, nothing beats living less than 5 minutes from the beach.
If I don’t have a camera with me, the universe seems somehow out of kilter. I’ve been doing this since I was quite young. And people…not only my mom…think I’m pretty darn good at it. I'm really good at candid shots of people. An art school professor once told me that I have a special way of capturing people. Who am I to argue with her? Actually, I think she was right.
While I've always loved photography, it's only fairly recently that I decided that I wanted to try to make it my full-time gig, and I am seriously studying everything I can to become better at it. I have fallen in love with lighting and stobist type shooting.
Concert & band photography is my passion. The combination of photography and live music is just so natural for me as they are both such a big part of my life. I went to my first concert when I was 12, over 40 years ago; it was The Grateful Dead at the Spectrum in Philly and they played for 5 hours. I’ll never forget it. I spent most of my teen years and beyond going to as many concerts as I could, sometimes 3 or 4 in a week. I’ve seen most every rock artist of the 70’s, a lot of them several times. These days, I get out to probably one live performance a week, sometimes quite a few more. I Shoot Musicians and I make people look like Rock Stars. I love to capture the moment when a performer shows their spirit and personality. It’s like magic. Capturing that energy and emotion is what it’s all about for me. Someone told me that I do it so well because I feel the music so much more than most people. Some of my photos have been published in Guitar World, Guitar Player, Guitar Edge, Musicians Friend, The Buzz, Axis Magazine, and other national and local publications as well as many sites on the web. While I take most of my photos in the Northeast Florida area, I have traveled throughout the Southeast to cover musical events. Now, if I could just figure out a way to make real money at it!
Holly Johnson | Family Photography
The Quick Survey
- Name: Holly Johnson - Holly's Hobby's Photography
- Located in: West Jordan, Utah but I service in the Salt Lake City area as well as the Provo, Orem, and Ogden areas. I am willing to travel if the need is there.
- Started in: 2005
- Status: Part Time
- Types of Photography: Families, kids, missionaries, senior portraits, engagements and weddings.
- Primary Camera / Favorite Lens: Canon rebel xti, 24-70mm 2.8 L
- Interesting Personal Fact: Photography isn't something I thought I would be doing 10 years ago and here I am 5 years later.
Find out more
Website: www.hollyshobbys.smugmug.com
Blog: www.hollyshobbysphoto.blogspot.com
Facebook Fan Page: http://www.facebook.com
Short Bio
I have always been a creative person. I was always interested in art. I used to do alot of scrapbooking, (alot) and had many friends who admired the pictures in my albums. One of those friends hired me to do her family pictures, all I had then was my little kodak digital camera and my brain, and it pretty much snowballed from there. This wasn't something I would have ever thought of doing as a career let alone having my own successful business. So along the way, I have had to learn (alot of times it was by doing things the wrong way) how to get the effects I wanted. Gradually got better equipment and try to learn things along the way. I also make collages with all of my shoots to capture some of the feeling. turning a few pictures into a work of art. The best part of being a photographer is all the friends you make along the way. When I gain a client, they always come back for more, and that trusting relationship goes along way. Helps me to build the self confidence I need in making this successful business.
Leah Miller | People Photography
The Quick Survey
- Name: Leah Miller Photography
- Located in: Salt Lake City, UT
- Started in: 08/2009
- Status: Part Time
- Types of Photography: People (wedding/portrait)
- Primary Camera / Favorite Lens: 5D Mark II, 24-70mm 2.8
- Interesting Personal Fact: It hurts my throat to drink soda. I'll manage to choke one down about once every 5 years.
Find out more
Website: www.leahmillerphotography.com
Blog: www.leahmillerphotography.com/blog
Facebook Fan Page: http://www.facebook.com
Short Bio
If someone would have told me 18 months ago that I would have my own photography business one day I would have laughed!! Here I am and I LOVE it.
I grew up in a Utah. I spent most of my time playing in high school and college playing in some sort of sporting event. I graduated from Utah State University with a BS degree in Business and Info Systems. I became a computer and web programmer. I met my husband during my last semester in college. Since we've been married we lived in France, Montana, Kansas City, Virginia, and now Utah. We have 2 very entertaining children, who are now my full-time job, and take up the majority of my day.
About 18 months ago I pulled out a DSLR camera that was given to my husband before we were married. I dusted it off and started reading the instruction manual for it. At first photography was a technical and creative outlet...something I very much needed as a stay at home mom. It has since evolved into a passion. My favorite part of photography is editing...I'm not kidding. No worries, I like to shoot as well 
My goal for the next year is to shoot more weddings AND more pictures of my own kids.
Danielle Bernier | Portrait Photography
The Quick Survey
- Name: Danielle Bernier of Danielle Lynn Photography
- Located in: Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- Started in: Officially in business in 2009
- Status: Part time (with hopes of being full time in the next 2-3 years!)
- Types of Photography: Family, Couples/Engagement and Children
- Primary Camera / Favorite Lens: Canon 5D Mark II and 24-70L
- Interesting Personal Fact: I traveled to Ethiopia in 2007 to adopt my daughter and have been hooked on Ethiopian food and culture ever since!
Find out more
Main Site: http://www.daniellelynnphotography.com
Blog: http://www.daniellelynnphotography.com/blog
Twitter: http://twitter.com/DLPhotography
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com
Logo design shop: http://www.etsy.com/shop/daniellelynndesign
Short Bio
I wish I could think of something exciting and interesting to say, but the truth is, I'm just your average gal who's in l-o-v-e with photography!! I have been involved with photography and the arts for many years but it was the adoption of our first child that really kick-started my passion and gave me the motivation to finally turn nthis talent into a business. My favorite part of my job? I love to help others see the love and joy in their own families and children. There's nothing more rewarding than seeing a Mom's face light up (or sometimes cry!) when she holds the images of her family in her hands for the first time. Its what keeps me fulfilled, striving to learn and
develop my craft and my business as a whole. Its also a constant reminder of how precious these little moments are to a family and how easily they can slip away, going completely un-noticed.
Heading into my second year of business, I am more excited than ever before! There are so many exciting things on the horizon that I cannot wait to share with the beautiful, amazing clients of Danielle Lynn Photography!!
Anthony Perez | Architectural and Landscape Photographer
The Quick Survey
- Name: Anthony Perez
- Located in: Preston, United Kingdom nd Madrid, Spain
- Started in: Preston
- Status: Spare time
- Types of Photography: Architectural, Lomo, Landscape
- Primary Camera / Favorite Lens: Sony A330/Kit Lens
- Interesting Personal Fact: Soy medio Español.
Short Bio
I'm a fairly young photographer (17) from Preston in the UK. I love photography and exploring. I'm also half Spanish and get to spend a considerate amount of time over there in Madrid and Santander. I am in my first year of college studying digital photography and have only really started getting into it over the last six months since I bought my first SLR.
Find out more
- Main Site: http://Antp.info
- Twitter: @antp
- Flickr: http://flickr.com/photos/ant93
- Krop: http://krop.com/antp93
- Facebook: http://facebook.com/antp93
- Tumblr: http://antp.tumblr.com
Phill Monson | Landscape Photography
The Quick Survey
- Name / Business Name: Phill Monson / Phill Monson Photography
- Located in: Centerville, UT
- Started: 2008
- Status: Part Time
- Types of Photography: Landscape, Architecture, Travel
- Primary Camera / Favorite Lens: Canon 5D Mark II/ 17-40mm
- Interesting Personal Fact: My thumbs are double jointed and can be wrapped backwards around my hand. I also hang out with Merlin Olsen from time to time.
Find out more
Main Site: www.phillmonsonphotography.com
Blog: phillmonsonphoto.blogspot.com
Flickr: flickr.com/phillmonson
Short Bio:
Hi, I’m Phill Monson. I was born in Idaho Falls, ID, lived in Portland Oregon and Ireland for a few years, but call Utah home. I got started in photography in 2008 by getting a dSLR camera in anticipation for a trip to Europe, and have been hooked ever since. Once I got into photography, I thought I would dabble in weddings and portraits. However, I soon realized that mountains and buildings don’t blink or complain, and decided to focus on those subjects.
I focus mainly on my own backyard of the amazing landscapes in Utah and the Colorado Plateau. Southern Utah has so much to offer it would take me a life time to explore. While Utah is easily accessible for me, I live for traveling to new places- especially Europe- and photographing amazing scenes.
I am husband to an amazing wife, and father of a beautiful 6 month old girl. If I may be so self indulgent, I’m much like Billy Zane; a pretty cool dude.
Andy Williams | Capturing the Beauty of America’s National Parks
The Quick Survey
- Name / Business Name: Andy Williams - Moon River Photography
- Located in: New York, New York
- Started: Forever ago
- Status: Full time photography. This also includes being COO of SmugMug
- Types of Photography: Mostly landscape work at the present time. Though I'm pretty good at Street and portraits too.
- Primary Camera / Favorite Lens: Canon 5D Mark II. Canon 24mm TS/E.
- Interesting Personal Fact: I can't draw to save my life.
Find out more
Main Site: http://www.moonriverphotography.com
Blog: http://blog.moonriverphotography.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/awilliamsny
Facebook: http://facebook.com/awilliamsny
Short Bio: I get out to 5 or 6 amazing locations a year while I lead workshops with Marc Muench. Together, we started Muench Workshops a few years ago, and have been thrilling 10 clients on really amazing workshops in Wild Utah, Hidden Catalina, Isle of Mull Scotland, Extreme Sierras, Glacier NP, and more. We've just launched our biggest workshop yet, a two-week Safari in East Africa. More at http://www.muenchworkshops.com
Destiny Photography | Wedding and Family Photographer
The Quick Survey
- Name: Destiny Burk
- Located in: Tulsa, OK
- Status: Full Time
- Types of Photography: Weddings, Engagement, Bridal, Family, Senior, and Maternity Pix
- Primary Camera / Favorite Lens: Canon 5D
- Interesting Personal Fact: I buy all my equipment at www.BandHPhoto.com, they are a great company with great prices.
Find out more
Main Site: www.DestinyPix.com
Blog: www.destinypix.smugmug.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com
Short Bio
"I love weddings when the couple is really in love and aren't afraid to be affectionate and show it! Or when my bride is so creative and comes up with the coolest ideas!!! I am a detailed person who loves organization, so I enjoy the planning side of weddings...helping my brides with timelines, details, and ideas.
My goal for 2010 is to really watch and capture that moment in between the moment- like just right before or after a sweet kiss, or the emotion of a dad and daughter dancing...I want that emotion to show thru my images and tell the story.
I love children photography when they cooperate. Ha! I love to shoot kiddos when they laugh and play and babies when they sleep. I love to capture families that are close and lovey dovey, and like being silly! Maternity is my most challenging, I enjoy it but the posing and ideas don't come as easy for me. I like to do it but will probably be better at it once I've experienced being pregnant myself!
Probably my most favorite though would be engagement pix. I love to see the newness of the relationship and love with engagement pix. I love when couples are giggly and sweet with each other, and when they love to do fun pix!"
Emily Johnson | Wedding Photography
The Quick Survey
- Business Name: Emily Johnson Photography
- Located in: Milwaukee, WI
- Started: Baby/Family photography since 2002 & Weddings almost exclusively since 2004
- Status: Full Time/Business Owner
- Types of Photography: Mostly Weddings but also Maternity, Baby/Children/Family, Seniors and Corporate Events
- Primary Camera / Favorite Lens: 5D Mark II, favorite lens: 24 - 70 and 15 mm fisheye
- Interesting Personal Fact:I used to be a Polynesian dancer with a professional group that performed at events around Milwaukee.
Main Site: www.emilyjohnsonphotography.com
Email: info@emilyjohnsonphotography.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/Emily.Hayward.Johnson
Animotto: http://animoto.com/play/OoiqJitTeM1d5of1VQF8xw
Short Bio - Everybody who knows me knows that I delight in telling a good story and that is what draws me to wedding photography. I love the mix of fine art and photojournalism. I am blessed to be very intuitive and creative which makes photography and working with people a perfect fit for me. Designing wedding albums gives me the chance to beautifully illustrate the story of the wedding day. I started off working in all of the Milwaukee area hospitals doing newborn photography. When I tell people I am a wedding photographer they often ask me about bridezillas but I tell them that if I can make a women happy who has just had a baby, is exhausted, overwhelmed and emotional, I can handle anything the wedding day throws at me. I am currently focusing primarily on weddings but later this year I will be expanding that focus to include maternity, baby, and family photography so I can keep telling the stories of my clients. It seems weird to call them clients because they feel more like friends. I am a wife and mother of two great kids. When I'm not photographing I love to garden, go to Comedy Sportz and hang out with my family.
Crystal Pickering | Newborn Photography
The Quick Survey
- Name / Business Name: Crystal Pickering of R+C Photography
- Located in: West Jordan, Utah
- Started: June of 2009
- Status: Full Time
- Types of Photography: R+C photography does all types. However, I am most at home and comfortable when shooting newborns. There is just something so pure and innocent and sweet about capturing the first moments of someones life.
- Primary Camera / Favorite Lens: Canon 40d / 100mm 2.8 macro, 50mm 1.4, and 85mm 1.8 (I am 100% a prime girl)
- Interesting Personal Fact:I have a Pepsi every morning. It is "my coffee" I suppose you could say!
Main Site: www.rpluscphotography.com
Blog: www.rcphotographyutah.blogspot.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/RplusCPhotography
Short Bio - Hey everyone!! I am Crystal, the C in R+C Photography. I am a mommy to 4 kids and a wife to the most amazing and supportive man alive!!
I was always interested in photography. However, I never had the money to invest in an SLR to learn. When I got married to my husband his sister owned her own sports photography business, and let me borrow their Nikon. I used and abused that little camera for about a year, before they needed it back. When I had to give it back, I felt like a piece of me was missing, and that is when I realized, that my "hobby" was turning into something more.
Then my 2 year old was born, and from there it grew into what it is today. I met Rachel about a year ago and that is when we formed R+C Photography. Shooting with her is a blast. We both bring something completely different to the table, in regards to technical skills, artistic vision, and business savyness.
Our personalities are different enough that we can find some common ground with almost every client. In fact a lot of our clients remain very close friends with us to this day, and this is how we prefer to run our business. I love shooting with a partner. I love having someone to bounce ideas off of, and of course we challenge each other to get better. We are always striving to "one up" our previous shoot. We talk about what we learned from each shoot, and what we can do different next time, and what we liked that time.
To wrap it up lol, shooting together as a partnership, and more then that, as friends, is what makes us unique!!!
Shannon Kelley Photography
The Quick Survey
- Name / Business Name: Shannon Kelley Photography
- Located in: Knoxville, TN
- Started in: 2007
- Status: Full Time
- Types of Photography: Weddings/Engagements...with a artsy twist:)
- Primary Camera / Favorite Lens: Canon 5d, 17-40 L
- Interesting Personal Fact: I'm a former missionary kid, I've been to over 20 countries (most of them third world) and want to one day be a full time missionary, I love cheese, I love summer and driving with the windows rolled down, we cloth diapered our little girl, I heart Asiago cheese bagels from Panera, I have a studio that is a community studio geared to help other photographers, my favorite place on this earth is Tonga, I need some beach time, I picture the world through a lens and am a believer that all things are beautiful, I love light and sun and how it hits this earth. I'm Shannon:)
Main Site: www.shannonkelleyphotography.com
Blog: www.shannonkelleyphotography.com/blog
Twitter: www.twitter.com/alohashannon
(Others): www.facebook.com/shannonkelleyphotography
Short Bio: When I was younger my parents were missionaries. We often lived in one room and had about 1 suitcase to our name. We never bought much from the countries we lived in because of space, instead we took pictures and scrapbooked. Memories will be out souvenirs is what we lived by. That is how my love of photography began. I saw the world through a lens and fell
in love with the world and capturing the beauty of it.
Even now, when I'm shooting weddings I live by that love. The love to capture something unique and to show others how it was not only beautiful but full of emotion. To me, photography is more than a job or a passion, its a necessity. To capture memories that we look back on forever. It's our heritage and legacy we leave.
Colby Poppleton | Engagement Photography
The Quick Survey
- Business Name: Colby Poppleton/Colby Elizabeth Photography
- Located in: Denver, CO and Southern California
- Started: Officially January 2010
- Status: Full Time
- Types of Photography: Wedding, Lifestyle, Portrait
- Primary Camera / Favorite Lens: Nikon D700/50 mm f1.4
- Interesting Personal Fact:I have many layers. I am a country girl and a city girl. I'm a lover, a fighter and fiercely loyal. I live for traveling to new places and seeing new things. I am an animal person...I grew up riding horses and yes, until I have a child of my own, my 85 pound black lab will be considered my baby. I am married to the love of my life and best friend.
Main Site: http://colbyelizabethphoto.com/
Blog: http://colbyelizabethphoto.com/blog/
Twitter: http://twitter.com/CElizabethPhoto
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Denver-CO/Colby-Elizabeth-Photography/131530667848?ref=ts
Short Bio - I am a photographer, I always been in one way or another. I am the girl that had a camera in my purse everywhere she went. My friends stopped taking photos because they knew I would. I always dreamed of being a photographer, but it was just that, a dream. Something I never thought could be a reality. Until one day my husband David asked me "What do you have to lose?" I thought long and hard about that, I didn't have much to lose, but had everything to gain. Now I am doing what I love and living out my passion.
When I am shooting I see the world differently through my camera. I get an indescribable feeling inside, I come alive. There is something about capturing ordinary things through my lens and making them beautiful. It is my art.
Dawn McCarthy | Glamour Photography
The Quick Survey
- Business Name: Dawn McCarthy Photography
- Located in: Jacksonville, Florida
- Started: 2003 photographing friends weddings
- Types of Photography: wedding but I love the art of photography as a whole.
- Primary Camera / Favorite Lens: 5dMarkII and 70-200L 2.8 IS
- Interesting Personal Fact: I am a tad bit OCD…particularly with counting money, setting alarms and washing my hands. I like to eat my crackers salt side down. I once auditioned for The Next Food Network Star. I believe that I will win the lottery someday. I love laughing so hard that it takes my breath away. Haribo gummy bears are my favorite! I eat apples in a specific pattern. I love rubbing my nose on my babies cheeks. Watching my baby eat is one of my favorite things to do. I love long eyelashes and white teeth. I am celebrating 10 years of marriage this month. I love an afternoon nap although it is extremely rare that I get one. I am a hard worker and a bit of a perfectionist. I believe that life and love is full of seasons. I consider myself a blessed individual.
Main Site: www.DawnMcCarthyPhotography.com
Blog: www.DawnMcCarthyBlog.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/DawnMcCarthy
Facebook: www.facebook.com/DawnMcCarthyPhotography
Short Bio - My name is Dawn McCarthy and I am a professional wedding photographer. I positively LOVE what I do! There is not a happier day in a woman’s life than her wedding day… well, okay... maybe those women who have won the lottery feel differently, but I am basing this statement on the average woman. I thrive on witnessing the love and blissful emotion between two people who are about to commit their lives to one another. I have a personal goal in every wedding that I shoot to provide my Brides with a tangible, everlasting reflection of the dream day that escaped them far too fast! I pay strict attention to detail, but evoke a light-hearted spirit that has been said to “put you at ease on the most important day of your life.” I love everything about weddings and I am always anxious to meet my next Bride…might you be her?
In addition to my insatiable passion for photography, I am a wife and a mom. I have been married for ten years (on the 17th of this month) to my college sweetheart and I am raising two boys who are undeniably the loves of my life! I have a thick southern accent that tends to make people smile and say “where do you come from?” But don't let the accent fool you! I am quite the savvy business woman. And I am a force to be reckoned with in my kitchen! An invitation to supper at my house is usually a coveted prize. You wanna come? I'll feed ya! If I had to pick a few adjectives to describe myself, I suppose they would be: determined, fierce, creative, honest and completely genuine. I’m just me. It’s been so nice to meet ‘cha.
Jennifer Grigg | Wedding Photography
The Quick Survey
- Name: Jennifer Grigg
- Located in: Springville, Utah
- Started: 1980's
- Status: Business owner, mom, college degree in photography
- Types of Photography: families, wedding, headshots, events
- Primary Camera / Favorite Lens: Nikon D200 70-200 2.8!
- Interesting Personal Fact: 3 kids, teenager, preteen, tweenie
Main Site: http://www.jennifergrigg.com
Bigfolio: http://jumanjijuice.bigfolioblog.com
Xanga: http://www.xanga.com/jumanjijuice
Iweb: http://jengriggphoto.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/Jumanjijuice
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/jengrigg
Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jumanjijuice
Smugmug: http://jennifergrigg.smugmug.com
Short Bio: I got my first camera in 7th grade, circa 1977, not really mine, just a vacation lend from my Dad. He set up a darkroom in our only bathroom and took so many pictures of me that they fill 11 albums.
I loved yearbook staff so much in high school that I chose to study and graduate from BYU with a BFA in photography and minor in communications. My first job was at the Provo Daily Herald with the amazing Jason Olson and Trent Nelson. I worked part-time after our first child, then freelanced, then had three children, then interned with the Deseret News during the 2002 Olympics.
My rekindling of my wedding photography business started when I traded in my Nikon f4 for a Nikon D70 in 2004. The digital bug bit me and here I am. I shoot families, weddings and some public relations work. I would love to shoot 50 weddings a year, but for now. I shoot less than 10, with about that many other clients as well.
My kids have busy social lives filled with friends, creek walking and music and sports. My husband is a web designer who loves his job, family and church.
Eric Smyklo | Wedding Photography
The Quick Survey
- Name / Business Name: Eric Smyklo / Eric Smyklo Photography
- Located in: Erie, Pennsylvania
- Started: 2005
- Status: Full Time Wedding Studio
- Types of Photography: Wedding photography is our focus but we do venture into fine art photography (landscapes, urban, etc.) and some custom portrait jobs. We feel that by primarily focusing on weddings we can provide our clients a better product by not exhausting energy into so many different types of photography.
- Primary Camera / Favorite Lens: Nikon D700. Favorite Lens?! Thats a hard one! I would have to say my wide angle (12-24) is still my favorite lens. It fits my style and allows me to bring all my dramatic ideas to a reality. But then again, I can't pass up my 50mm for detail shots, and 70-200 for amazing portraits!
- Interesting Personal Fact: I subscribe to Brides magazine.
Main Site: www.ejswedding.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/Erie.PA.Photographer
Short Bio: Eric's interest in photography started in high school and later turned into a BFA degree (focus on photography) from Penn State University. Working for some local photographers after graduating, he photographed friends' weddings on the side and ended up enjoying it a lot more than he anticipated. His name spread via word-of-mouth and now books up to 45 weddings in a given season. He strives to keep the wedding day fun and enjoyable for everyone involved and stays true to his candid but dramatic style he is known for. His hard work and endless time put into post-processing (aka, hours spent in Lightroom and Photoshop) really pays off with how continually satisfied his clients are with their final images. He works along side his talented fiancé who is always there to hold a light or get the shots that count. Eric looks forward to creating great memories in many weddings for years to come.
Christine Bentley | Capturing Wedding Details
The Quick Survey
- Business Name: Christine Bentley Photography
- Located in: Irvine, California
- Started: 2006
- Status: Full Time
- Types of Photography: Portraits and Weddings
- Primary Camera / Favorite Lens: Canon 5D Mark II / 70-200 2.8
- Interesting Personal Fact: I met my husband while riding my Harley, well actually I met him after I crashed it into the shop where he was the service manager. We were married 6 months later!
Main Site: www.christinebentley.com
Blog: www.christinebentleyblog.com
Facebook: facebook.com/christinebentley
Twitter: http://twitter.com/chrisbentley
Short Bio: Oh lets see. I love tell the story about how I got started, mostly because it's pretty crazy. I had a fav photog who moved to Southern California and I pretty much freaked out because she took ALL the photos of my children. So I decided that the last session we had scheduled I would take mental notes of her equipment and just go and buy everything that I needed to do what she was doing. So after leaving the amera store with over $10K of equipment, I thought I was a "professional". My husband came home to find me in tears in our living room with a camera that had a black LCD screen. I HAD NO IDEA WHAT I WAS DOING. Nothing was returnable and I was up the creek. I mean, I bought a 35mm lens cause the "35mm" sounded like "photo stuff" and I thought I needed it....I truly didn't even know what aperture was or ANYTHING. The learning curve was quit humbling to say the least.
Always up for learning (I have a Master's Degree in Education), I decided this was not going to get the best of me. The idea was to be able to take photos of my children, not really to start a business. Soon it became a healthy addiction and an artistic outlet. It was "me" time as all parents out there know you need that "me" time to indulge in your favorite hobbies. It was amazing to me that I could actually start making money doing this, I love it, still do.
I started to follow AMAZING photographers and learn from them. My early mentors who have now become friends are Bob and Dawn Davis. They started my career. I truly believe that. I took their workshop first, it was amazing and things have never been the same. I started simply with portraits, afraid to take on weddings, but realized soon enough, weddings are a LONG portrait session with a great story to tell. Then I was hooked. I blame and thank Mike Colon and his workshop on getting a lot of my business together, marketing etc. I have been really fortunate to have met some amazing people in this industry and if there is any advice I can give to those you start, do what you love first, and reach out to others. Without my early mentors, I would most likely still be lost.
A few short years later, I have a studio in Irvine. I have amazing clients both portraits and weddings. I have won Accolade and Merit Awards in both WPPI as well as PPOC. I plan on entering more images, and more and more. I continue to learn, I'll never stop learning, but now I also teach! Imagine that, I actually teach those in my community how to use their consumer DSLRs as well as do some professional mentoring. I believe in myself, I am blessed to have others believe in me, I am determined as all hell, but I love it, I love it all and I get to live it everyday!
Rachel Rehart | Bride and Groom Photography
The Quick Survey
- Name / Business Name: Rachel Rehart of R+C Photography
- Located in: Lehi, Utah
- Started: As a studio? 2009, baby.
- Status: Full-time
- Types of Photography: I am photography's equivalent of multiple-personality-disorder. R+C does weddings, newborns, seniors, families, photojournalism...and anything else that catches our interest. I see things as technical challenges, so doing only one type of photography would be boring.
- Primary Camera / Favorite Lens: 5D Mark ii/ 24-70 2.8 L or 100mm 2.8 L macro
- Interesting Personal Fact:
Main Site: www.rpluscphotography.com
Blog: www.rcphotographyutah.blogspot.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/RplusCPhotography
Short Bio: Hi, I'm Rachel, the R of R+C Photography. I'm a mom of 5 kids and I've always been passionate about documenting their lives.
My oldest two sons were officially diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder in January of 2004–when they were 4 and 2, respectively–and it began to make sense why I could never get the studio settings of big chain photographers to work for them. We went for a long time without many really GOOD pictures of the boys, and as our family grew, I became more and more restless about this. So, I decided to take matters into my own hands and learn photography! Once I had the skills to photograph my own sons in a way that they found comfortable, without harsh flashes or lots handling and posing, I wanted to share it with other families who faced the same challenges creating keepsakes of their family’s life.
Along the way, I’ve discovered I just love photographing everyone! So what started as a very focused journey in chronicling my own family’s story has become a passion and an artistic outlet.
Then, about a year ago, I met a fellow photographer, Crystal Pickering, and we formed R+C Photography. Shooting with a partner has been both a fun social outlet for me, and a great chance for each of us to push each other technically. We pride ourselves on our technical ability and creativity. We like to stay up-to-date with the latest trends, but we also study the history of photography and art, so that we can understand all of the good stuff. I think our friendship and personalities come out during each shoot, and clients are quickly at ease. In fact, some of our brides have literally become BFFs with us. In short--too late--working as friends and partners makes all the difference for us.
Brishen Lee Photography | Wedding Photography
The Quick Survey
- Name: Brishen Lee
- Located in: St. Louis, Missouri
- Started in: 2004 at Webster University, Professionally in 2006
- Status: Full Time
- Types of Photography: Wedding Photography, Engagement Photography, Travel Photography, families, high school seniors, models, dance
- Primary Camera / Favorite Lens: Canon
- Interesting Personal Fact: She loves her Pekingese dog.
Find out more
Main Site: www.brishenleephotography.com
Blog: www.brishenlee.blogspot.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/pages/Brishen-Lee-Photography
Short Bio: "I am a portrait photographer specializing in weddings, families, high school seniors, models, dance, and any other challenges."
Brishen recently teamed up with Jeff from Denash Photography to take wedding photography and portraits to new heights. Creating unique images through a blending of styles and techniques, Brishen and Jeff are on the fast-track to becoming internationally acclaimed photographer and educators in the wedding and portrait industry. They always take a fun yet relaxed approach to their weddings and urban senior sessions.
There’s nothing more important than capturing your wedding day. From our first meeting to the delivery of your album, our goal is simple: to provide you with the best experience ever.”
Brishen loves to travel around the world and have a good Shiraz drink. Her favorite food is Thai food and she can’t wait to go to Asian someday!
Sarah Cramer Shields | Wedding Photography
The Quick Survey
- Business Name: Cramer Photo
- Located in: Charlottesville, VA
- Started: 2005
- Status: Full time documentary photographer
- Types of Photography: Weddings, Portraits, Family, Babies, Engagement, Pregnancy, Documentary/Story
- Primary Camera / Favorite Lens: Nikon D3, 50mm f/1.4
- Interesting Personal Fact: I adore my husband, cooking, athletics, and travel!
Find out more
Main Site: www.cramerphoto.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/cramerphoto
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Charlottesville-VA/Cramer-Photo/281222876469?ref=ts&ajaxpipe=1&__a=10
Short Bio: "I focus on the art of documentation. My passion for photography drives from my ability to find the natural beauty of a subject."
Ewa Chang | Newborn and Maternity Photography
The Quick Survey
- Business Name: Mamique Photography & Designs, Ltd.
- Located in: Vancouver, Canada
- Started: 2008
- Status: Part Time
- Types of Photography: Portraiture, specializing in newborn and maternity photography
- Primary Camera / Favorite Lens: Canon 5D MII / 50 1.4 for newborns and 24-70 L for maternity & family work
- Interesting Personal Fact: I hold an engineering degree in biological resources. I gave that up 2 years ago to pursue my passion for photography and knitwear design.
Find out more
Main Site: www.mamiquephotography.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/?ref=logo#!/pages/Vancouver-BC/Mamique-Photography-Designs-Ltd/93042999733?ref=ts
Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/mamique/
Word from the Photographer: Photography is something I admired from the sidelines for most of my life. I rarely ever had a camera with me because the photos I'd take with my point-and-shoot rarely showed what I saw. Then I discovered flickr.com and I discovered the world of manual settings. I quickly upgraded to my very first dSLR (Canon 40D). All I can say, being in control and "telling" the camera what I wanted made a HUGE difference. I was hooked! Photographing newborns coincided nicely with my other passion; knitwear designs for babies and children. As the word spread I was also asked about doing maternity photos and that's how I ended up specializing in both. There is still so much I want to try photography wise and I'm looking forward to learning and growing in this field!
